UNSUSPECTED 'TOEHOLDS' OF DEVIL
INCLUDE COMPULSIONS TOWARD EITHER DISORDER OR OBSESSIVE CLEANLINESS
When you see those shows on "hoarding," and you get a
strange feeling, maybe it's because there's a spirit attached. It is very
strange, even eerie. Hoarding in this sense means those who are addicted to
keeping things -- filling their homes with junk and even garbage. They can't
throw anything away, including worthless, unsanitary items.
While we don't usually think of
clutter as a "toehold" for the devil, it can be just that, argues author John
LaBriola in Onward Catholic
Solider. "God
is a God of order, not of clutter or chaos," he says. "The spirit of disorder or
chaos is a subtle, yet reliable toehold.
"If your bedroom is buried underneath a pile of dirty
clothes, if your family room is strewn with empty pizza boxes and old
newspapers, if your desk is submerged under piles of paper, then Satan has an
opening.
"Clutter and chaos do not come from God. Clutter and
chaos are a derivative of sin and therefore, where there is chaos there you will
find a potential home for evil spirits.
"Whether it is money, shoes, purses, tools, religious
articles, golf clubs, music, books, etcetera, excess accumulation of goods lends
itself to spirits of greed, gluttony, and self-reliance," says the author (whose
book we highly recommend). ""If you seem absolutely compelled to have the latest
model or version of an item, then that is a potential entry point for evil
spirits. If you financially strain yourself to keep up appearances, then that is
a potential entry point.
"If you hoard money, seeking earthly security above
eternal security, then that is a potential entry point. If you have a wardrobe
that is sufficient to clothe a small army, then that is a potential entry point.
The amassing of earthly honors and rewards can also become a point of
entry."
The solution? A life of discipline and simplicity. It's
how saints conducted themselves.
However: a compulsion toward cleanliness or
order can also be an entry point for Satan, states LaBriola. Anything obsessive
is suspect. The key word: balance. "To demand sterility and spotlessness, to be
obsessed with cleanliness, can be an opening," he claims. "Don't let Satan use
good virtues like cleanliness or orderliness to draw you away from God. Proper
order usually includes cleanliness, but proper order always puts God first. The
spirits of chaos, disorder, perfectionism, compulsion, sloth, anxiety, and so
forth operate here."
Is it a virtue to keep something and not waste? Yes. As
long as the item is useful. Is it a virtue to be clean? Absolutely. As the
saying goes, cleanliness is next to Godliness.
But remember that the devil is a
spirit of extremes, compulsions, and obsessions (hear the hiss?).
(thank you to www.spiritdaily.com for their wonderful articles!)
